Railway-car



PATENTEDSEPT. 20, 1904.

I. W. PHELPS.

RAILWAY GAR.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 21, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

51 an auto: zfP egw age Q/Vihwomo l\To. 770.698.

UNITED STATES Patented September 20, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

RAILWAY CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 770,698, dated September 20, 1904.

I Application filed November 21, 1903. Serial No. 182,193. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that LISAAO W. PHELPS, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Bedford, in the county of Bristol-and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Railway-Cars, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in railway-cars, and more especially to guard-rails adapted to be used upon open street-cars.

The object of the invention is to provide a guard-rail which is hung at the side of the car and which can be readily swung upward bya person standing adjacent one end thereof.

A further object is to provide means whereby the rail may be automatically locked in either raised or lowered position.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in pivoting hangers to one side of the car and to a longitudinally-extending guard-rail. The hangers are so located as to normally support the rails between the side standards of the car and the grabhandles.

The invention also consists in arranging a lug upon the rail and a catch for securing the rail in either raised or lowered position.

The invention also consists in the further novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, showing the preferred form of my invention, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a car having my improved guard-rails in position thereon and showing in dotted lines some of the positions to which the rails can be moved. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one of the rails detached, the central portion of the rail being removed. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a portion of one of the standards-and the grabhandle connected thereto and showing the hanger and guard-rail in position therebetween. Fig. 4 is aview similar to Fig. 3 and showing the hanger of the guard-rail pivoted to the grab-handle; and Fig. 5 is a section on line 5 5, Fig. 4.

Referring to the figures by numerals of refstandard. Pivoted to two of the standards 4:

and between said standards and the grab' handles are hangers 5, the other ends of which are pivoted to a guard-rail 6, having a stoppin 7 near one end. A slot 8 is formed in the rail adjacent the stop-pin, and slidably mounted therein is a spring-catch 9, which is fastened to the rail and formed, preferably, of spring metal. The guard-rail is held normally sus: pended by the hangers at a point close to the lower ends of the grab-handles, but out of contact with their securing means, and said ends and the hangers are of such lengths that when the guard-rail is swung upward it will be supported by the hangers at a point adjacent the upper ends of the grabhandles.

When the guard-rail is swung upward, the spring-catch 9 thereon will come in contact with the end grab-handle 4 and will be pressed inward until the stop-pin 7 is brought in contact with said grab-handle, when the catch 9 will swing outward and thereby securely lock the rail in raised position. To lower the guard-rail, it is merely necessary to press the catch 9 inward and then swing the rail down into its lowered position, when the catch 9 will again lock it in the manner heretofore described.

The stop-pin 7 may be covered with rubber or other soft material, whereby injury to the surfaces contacted thereby will be prevented. The hangers, as, before stated, support the rail out of contact with the connecting means employed for securing the lower ends of the grab-handles to the standards and prevent injury thereby to the rail. Moreover, as it is impossible for the guard-rail to fall straight downward after it has been raised there is little, if any. danger of injury resulting from its accidental dropping.

In the drawings I have shown a car provided with two guard-rails at one side thereof; but it will of course be understood that if desired one guard-rail may be arranged at each side; also, in lieu of pivoting the hangers to the standards 2 they may be pivotally connected to the grab-handles 4, as shown in Fig. 4.

It will be seen that a guard-rail constructed in accordance with my invention is very simple in form and can be readily attached to ordinary open cars, One person can raise both ends of the guard-rail at the same time without requiring assistance, and after the rail has once been raised it is securely locked. The rail is held out of contact with the adjoining portions of the standards and grab-handles and therefore will last as long as the car with which it is used.

In the foregoing description I have shown the preferred form of my invention; but I do not limit myself thereto,,as I am aware that modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit or sacrificing anyofthe advantages thereof, and 1 therefore reserve the right to make such changes as fairly fall within the scope of my invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- 1. The combination with a car having standards at the sides thereof, and grab-handles connected to and spaced from the standards; of hangers pivoted between two of the standards and their grab-handles, a guard-rail pivoted to the hangers and supported thereby between the standards and grab-handles, a stop-pin upon one face of the guard-rail, and a spring-catch connected to the guard-rail.

2. The combination with a car having standards at the sides thereof, and grab-handles connected to and spaced from the standards; of hangers pivoted between two of the standards and their grab-handles at points between their ends, a guard-rail pivotally connected to the hangers and supported thereby between the standards and grab-handles, a stoppin upon the guard-rail, and a laterally-movable spring-catch upon the guard-rail.

3. The combination with a car having standards at the sides thereof, and grab-handles connected to and spaced from the standards; of hangers pivoted between the standards and grab-handles, a guard-rail pivoted to and continually supported by the hangers, and means for automatically locking the guard-rail in raised or lowered position.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ISAAC W. PHELPS.

Witnesses:

LOUIS A. DELANO, OLIVER PRESCOTT, Jr. 

